Tommy Burns (footballer) facts for kids

Thomas Burns (born December 16, 1956 – died May 15, 2008) was a Scottish football player and manager. He is most famous for his long time with Celtic. He was a player, manager, and coach for the club.

Tommy Burns usually played as a midfielder. He played for Celtic from 1975 to 1989. During this time, he helped them win six Scottish league championships. He also won five Scottish Cups and one Scottish League Cup. He played for the Scotland national team eight times between 1981 and 1988.

He finished his playing career at Kilmarnock. This is also where he started his career as a manager. In 1994, he returned to Celtic as manager. He led them to win the Scottish Cup in 1995. This was the first trophy Celtic had won in six years. After leaving Celtic in 1997, he managed Reading from 1998 to 1999. Burns came back to Celtic in 2000. He worked in roles like assistant manager and first team coach. He was also the assistant manager for Scotland from 2002 to 2007.

Tommy Burns passed away from melanoma (a type of skin cancer) on May 15, 2008, when he was 51 years old.

Early Life and Football Start

Tommy Burns was born in the Calton area of Glasgow, Scotland. He grew up there with his two sisters. He went to St Mary's Roman Catholic School.

Joining Celtic Boys Club

Burns grew up as a big fan of Celtic. He started playing football with St.Mary's Boys Guild. Later, he played for Eastercraigs Boys Club. Then he joined Celtic Boys Club, which is a youth team for Celtic. He had chances to play professionally in England. But he chose to sign with Celtic in 1973. To get more experience, he was loaned out to Maryhill Juniors.

Playing for Celtic

Tommy Burns made his first team debut for Celtic on April 19, 1975. This was under manager Jock Stein. By the end of the 1976–77 season, when Celtic won the league, he was a regular player. In the 1983–84 season, he scored 13 goals. This was his best year for scoring.

Burns was a key player when Billy McNeill managed the team. They won the league and cup double in the 1997–88 season. This was Celtic's 100th year. He played in 37 games that season. In total, he played 353 league games for Celtic over 15 years. He scored 52 goals. He won six Scottish League titles and four Scottish Cups.

In December 1989, just before his 33rd birthday, he had a special game called a testimonial match against Ajax. This game was held at Celtic Park. During this match, he threw his boots to the crowd. Celtic later called him "a true Celtic legend." Tommy himself said he was just "a supporter who got lucky."

Time at Kilmarnock

Right after his testimonial game, Burns moved to Kilmarnock. He joined them for £50,000. In his first season there, he helped the club get promoted to a higher league. In the 1990–91 season, Kilmarnock stayed strong in their division. Burns was a very important player, playing in 37 games and scoring 8 goals.

Becoming a Manager and Coach

Managing Kilmarnock

In April 1992, Tommy Burns became the player-manager of Kilmarnock. This meant he was both a player and the manager. In his first full season in charge, 1992–93, the club won promotion to the Scottish Premier Division. They had not been in that league for ten years. Burns also played in 39 league games that season. He then played in 12 top-flight matches. He helped Kilmarnock avoid being relegated. His second-to-last game as a player was a 1–0 win against Rangers.

Managing Celtic

Burns became the manager of Celtic at the start of the 1994–95 season. His team became known for playing exciting and attacking football. They won the Scottish Cup in 1995. This was a big moment for the club. However, Celtic found it hard to beat their rivals, Rangers, who were very strong at the time.

Burns signed talented players like Pierre Van Hooijdonk, Paolo Di Canio, and Jorge Cadete. In the 1995–96 season, Celtic only lost one league game. But they still couldn't beat the Rangers team managed by Walter Smith. Burns once joked that "Andy Goram [the Rangers goalkeeper] broke my heart" would be written on his tombstone. After losing a cup semi-final in 1997, Burns was let go by Celtic. He then worked as a coach at Newcastle United.

Managing Reading

On March 25, 1998, Burns was named manager of Reading. They were having a tough time in their league. He stayed in this job until September 16, 1999. He was let go after a series of poor results. Even though his time there was short, he made a good impression on some people at the club. This included future club captain Graeme Murty and youth coach Brendan Rodgers, who later also managed Celtic.

Returning to Celtic and Scotland Role

In 2000, Burns came back to Celtic as assistant manager. Later, Martin O'Neill became manager. He kept Burns and put him in charge of developing young players. When Gordon Strachan became manager in 2005, Burns was made first team coach. He did this job while also working with youth development. He is known for helping many young players become international stars. These players include Shaun Maloney, Stephen McManus, Aiden McGeady, and John Kennedy. He also helped design the club's training center.

Burns was also the assistant manager for the Scottish national team from 2002 to 2007. He even managed Scotland for one game, a friendly match against Sweden.

On January 18, 2007, Burns announced he was leaving the Scottish national team. He wanted to focus only on his role at Celtic.

Personal Life and Faith

Tommy Burns met his wife, Rosemary Smith, when they were both 17. They got married in 1980 and had four children. He was a very religious Roman Catholic. He went to church and took Communion every morning. Burns said his faith was very important to him. He felt it helped him and guided him in life.

Illness and Passing

On March 29, 2006, Celtic announced that Burns was getting treatment for melanoma skin cancer. On March 10, 2008, Celtic shared that he was facing another skin cancer scare. He would need more treatment. Sadly, on May 15, 2008, Tommy Burns passed away at home.

His funeral was held at St Mary's Church in his hometown of Calton. Many people came to pay their respects.

Tributes to Tommy Burns

Many people in football shared their sadness and paid tribute to Tommy Burns. Celtic manager Gordon Strachan said that "being Tommy's mate was the best part of joining Celtic." He added that Burns was "top of the league when it comes to being a man." Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell called him "a wonderful human being." Celtic captain Stephen McManus said he was "courageous and probably as brave a man as you'll ever meet."

Rangers assistant manager Ally McCoist had worked with Burns for the Scotland team. He said, "I have met a lot of good people through football but Tam was the very best." On May 16, Rangers manager Walter Smith and McCoist visited Celtic Park. They laid a wreath to honor Burns. Smith and McCoist also helped carry Burns's coffin at his funeral.

Stadium Memorial

In 2010, a special bronze plaque was put up at the main stand of Celtic Park. It shows Burns celebrating a goal as a player. It also shows him lifting the Scottish Cup as a manager and working as a youth coach. The plaque also mentions his local church.

Tommy Burns Supper

The Heriot-Watt University and Edinburgh University Celtic Supporters Club holds a yearly charity dinner. It's called the 'Tommy Burns Supper'. It's a fun take on the traditional Robert Burns Supper. Tommy Burns himself often attended this event. After he passed away, the Supper was stopped for a while. But it was brought back in 2017 and is now held every year at Celtic Park.

Honours and Achievements

As a Player

Celtic

• Scottish Premier Division (6): 1976–77, 1978–79, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1985–86, 1987–88
• Scottish Cup (5): 1976–77, 1979–80, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1988–89
• Scottish League Cup: 1982–83

Kilmarnock

• Scottish Second Division: Second place (promoted) 1989–90
• Scottish First Division: Second place (promoted) 1992–93

As a Manager

Kilmarnock

• Scottish First Division: Second place (promoted) 1992–93
• Ayrshire Cup: 1993–94

Celtic

• Scottish Cup: 1994–95
• Scottish Premier Division: Second place 1995–96, 1996–97
• Scottish League Cup: Second place 1994–95

As Assistant Manager

Celtic

• Scottish Premier League: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08
• Scottish Cup: 2006–07
• Scottish League Cup: 2005–06